Abrams Family World Travel

Munich: From Car Museums To Tea Houses

MUNICH has plenty to offer. However, if truth be known, we'd have probably bypassed the German city had we not a son who's a car fanatic.

In the heart of the city sits the shining, state of the art BMW museum. So we took a detour and stayed several hours. 

Aside from being able to see - and go into - dozens of polished BMWs of various sizes and models (including motorbikes), there are various interactive exhibits as well, all impressively detailing the wonderful engineering of this German car. 

Zenchai was in his element, trying out the steering wheels and switching on the hazard lights etc - his favourite place in London is Mercedes Benz World. 

Entry was free on this particular day. We entered via the underground car park. But the website says there is usually a fee. Additional exhibits and workshops come at a cost. But for us it was fun just to look around.

We'd made our way to the museum after a light lunch. Munich offers considerable choice for vegans and one spot we'd recommend is the Tushita Teehaus, although it's not cheap (where in Europe is?). 

Situated at Klenzestr. 53, it's small (only a few tables and some outside tables also) and parking can be tricky, but the food is excellent (all organic vegan), there's a selection of sweet and savoury to match and the staff are pleasant and, of course, English-speaking. 

Given it was a hot day when we were there, the Lemon Grass Ice Tea was particularly thirst-quenching. We'd definitely go back if we visited Munich again. 

Ecuador: The Highs and Lows

OUR FIVE HIGHLIGHTS

1.) Los Frailes Beach

Inside a national park a short ride north from Puerto Lopez, this was a hidden treasure. The beach was clean, the water blue and warm, the waves fun and the sand pristine.

It’s a deserted spot away from all the tourists and a fabulous place to spend several hours. Bring your own food (there’s no catering on site) and plenty of sun block. Cost of admission: $12 per adult.

2.) Tiestos restaurant, Cuenca

We loved this place so much we just kept going back. The owner and chef, Juan Carlos, is a warm, charming man who’s attention to detail and desire to please his customers is unmistakable.

The food is outstanding and plentiful. And for a fairly upscale restaurant, the prices were reasonable also. Don’t visit Cuenca without sampling this place.

3.) Thermal Pools of Papallacta

There isn’t a more relaxing way to escape from Quito. The journey by bus from the capital is about an hour and then hop in a taxi to this fantastic, heavenly collection of hot, warm and cold plunge pools.

A great place for families, romantic couples or just to visit by yourself. Price: $7 for adults and $3 for children.

4.) Centre of the earth & museum

You can’t go to Quito without visiting the centre of the earth. The monument, in fact, sits about 100 yards from the exact spot. But given it was discovered by the French many years ago, before Sat Nav, the error was an acceptable one.

There’s a museum inside the monument and a small village selling all sorts of goods, plus restaurants. Less than half a mile away is another museum – outdoors, interactive and more fun. Be sure to visit. Entrance fee $3 for adults at the interactive museum and $2 for the monument museum.

5.) Climbing the Quito Basilica

From the top, which is quite a climb, you get some of the most spectacular views of the city. Quito is many things, but the site of all the buildings surrounded by mountains is quite staggering. It costs $2 for adults to enter, but is worth it.

FIVE LOWLIGHTS

1.) Cuenca air pollution

The wheezing, choking buses of this city spoiled our time there. The city centre wasn’t so big and blue buses were everywhere. Avoiding the choking black puffs of smoke was almost impossible. We’d heard so many good reviews of Cuenca that our expectations were admittedly high. But even in heaven, this level of pollution would make us want to bolt.

2.) Not getting to the Galapagos Islands

Prices for tours to the Galapagos are extraordinarily steep. We couldn’t justify the expense, even if it meant coming all this way and missing some of the most stunning islands in the world.

But nearly everyone we met who had been there had told us the cost was worth it – what you see is truly unique and unforgettable. Maybe next time…

3.) Dirty beaches with stinging jelly fish in Puerto Lopez

We’d hoped to find long stretches of sandy beaches and a beautiful ocean. The beaches are long and sandy, but there was too much litter and the lingering smell of fish in the air was unavoidable along the beachfront.

Watch out in the water for stinging jelly fish. They seem to turn up every other day.

4.) Restaurant at the volcanic crater

The hotel at El Crater, with amazing views from the rooms, was fabulous, if pricey. But in the nearby restaurant the food quality didn’t match the outstanding and immaculate décor. For the price (it wasn’t cheap), we expected better.

5.) El Puente Apartment/hotel, Cuenca

Not somewhere we’d recommend, even if the daily cost of stay was cheaper than any hostals. Rooms are large and you get a kitchen, but the customer service was, for want of a better word, bordering on abysmal.

Journey To The Centre Of The Earth

NOT many children can claim to have spent their fourth birthday inside a volcano and at the centre of the earth. But that’s what Zenchai did.
 

We stayed at the El Crater Hotel, perched on the edge of a volcano near Pululahua. The views on a clear day are fantastic. The walk into the base of the crater is easy enough going downhill, but arduous coming up, especially because of the high altitude (we didn’t do it, but saw many people huffing and puffing their way up).

Getting to the hotel was relatively easy – a short cab ride – from the Mitad del Mundo (Centre of the Earth), where we’d visited the monument to mark the spot (even though it’s about 100 metres from the precise location) and two museums – one inside the monument and another a short walk down the road.

The outdoor, interactive museum is more interesting and fun, especially to children. We made a day of it.

The best way to get to Mitad Del Mundo by public transport is to take a taxi to the Condado Shopping Mall. From there buses depart frequently for the Centre of the Earth. It takes about half an hour.

While it was sunny most of the day, the clouds moved in later. Weather can change dramatically. By the time we reached our hotel, fog was so dense we couldn’t see the building from about 20 feet!

I reckon we were the only residents. The hotel and restaurant next door was deserted. Even though the hotel is pricey, even by Western standards, this was a special occasion. We splashed out a bit, probably for the first time since we arrived in Ecuador.

 The restaurant, while beautiful and elegant, was a letdown. The food didn’t quite hit the mark and was quite expensive. However, it was an experience well worth having.

Although we woke up the next morning with the fog not having shifted and thinking we were never going to get to see the inside of the crater, within hours it disappeared and everywhere was bathed in sunshine.

Interestingly, as we were by ourselves, Zenchai didn’t get many presents. We’d given him a small plastic jeep – admittedly cheep – that he’d had his eyes on in Cuenca. But he was more than happy.

It just goes to show that it’s not the cost or size of a present that matters.

Puerto Lopez: Jewel and the junk

Larger in size than Montañita, Puerto Lopez is also cleaner – marginally. It’s a fishing village, though, and the pungent aroma of sea creatures fills the air.

Given we don’t eat fish and prefer to self-cater, the food market – lacking in variety, quality average, no coconuts or avocados, both of which have been abundant elsewhere – was somewhat disappointing.

For eating out, the choices seemed fewer than in Montañita. 

However, there is a real jewel in this village: Hosteria Mandála. The accommodation, which has been there about a decade and was started from scratch by its Italian (a real character from Milan) and Swiss (Basel) co-owners who met in the Galapagos Islands, is extensive and tastefully decorated.

There is a library, music room, games room (every board game you can think of) and even a whale museum of sorts. It is child-friendly with many great wooden toys, puzzles, games and even beach playthings, there’s a restaurant, cactus garden, herb garden, hammock areas everywhere and wonderful plants attracting butterflies and humming birds. Also, there’s wifi, but it didn’t extend to the rooms, but Mandála has a wonderfully comfortable lounge where you can relax with your computer if necessary.

The beach, though, was not up to scratch. It extends right in front of and beyond the hotel, but is not as clean as in Montañita (watch out for the small, but stinging jelly fish that sometimes get washed ashore). A short walk along the beach in each direction from Mandala is lots of litter, food, dead birds and even washed-up turtles.

Sadly, it seems as if no one has made it their job to keep the beach anywhere near immaculate. Mandála was beautiful - and the staff very helpful - but the surroundings a let-down. 

By the time our four-day stay was over we were happy to move on. We set off north towards Bahia and then Canoa. It’s an ordeal. We started by bus, then changed buses after 2.5 hours, took a bicycle tuc-tuc ($1) from the bus stop in Bahia to the harbour, a boat across the water to San Vicente and then a taxi (for $5) to Canoa. On the map it didn’t seem like it would take long, but door-to-door the journey required around six hours by public transport. 

Montañita: The good, the bad and the mucky

This is a real surfer’s village with fit, scantily-clad young men and women/girls casually walking through the muddy streets barefooted. 

Zenchai felt so proud to take off his shoes and socks as he made his way around. 

There’s an abundance of hostals – seems every other building is one – restaurants and bars. The beach is long, sandy and pretty clean, the waves impressive and the water inviting. Beware the immensely strong undercurrent, though. Make sure children play only in the shallow water. 

Contrary to what you may have read, Montañita is suitable for families. It does get loud at night – where in Ecuador isn’t? – but make sure you stay away from the hub of the village for a quietish night. 

The trip to Montañita from Guayaquil, on a luxury bus, is inexpensive (around $5.50 per person) and smooth. It takes around 3 ½ hours. As soon as you arrive expect to be mobbed by muscular locals offering to carry your luggage to a hostal (presumably to collect a reward). There are good and bad ones. Do your research and try to book in advance, though this can be tricky as some don’t have email or internet and, as we found, failed to even answer the phone. 

We stayed at Hostal Kundalini, which looked brilliant on their sophisticated, multi-lingual website. None of the staff spoke English, which wasn’t so much a problem as them not being particularly friendly or amenable. 

As we’ve found on numerous occasions, what’s on the label often isn’t in the tin. There was no hot water and on the first night a power failure meant no electricity or wifi. Breakfast at Kundalini was basic and there’s no choice – it’s scrambled eggs on toast with tea or coffee. We, therefore, ate out, which didn’t seem fair given breakfast was included in the price. We also didn’t like the fact that Kundalini charged $8 per night for Zenchai, who’s still only three (if only for a few more days). 

However, Kundalini is quieter than most other hostals (if you get the right neighbour). Instead of listening to holiday-makers and surfers in town, you get the sound of crashing waves (that are almost on your doorstep). I know which I’d prefer. 

In terms of eating out, there is plenty of choice and the prices vary also. For vegans there are two vegetarian restaurants in town and several other establishments offered vegetarian options. We ate at a nice vegetarian restaurant (with ample vegan dishes) that provided a two-course meal for three people at $9. At some places we paid twice that amount. 

Abrams Family Travel Tips: Make sure you have enough cash or a credit card as there isn’t a bank (but there is a cash machine). If it rains be prepared for a mudbath – the roads aren’t good and the place gets flooded and immensely mucky quickly. For that reason, avoid bringing luggage on wheels and, if you do, have the type of bag that can easily double as a backpack.

Finger-licking Good

We couldn’t resist another, and sadly final, visit to Tiestos. What a place! Best food in Cuenca.

As usual, owner and chef Juan Carlos made us feel totally welcome. The man has a way with people as well as food.

Having cooked us Italian and Indian on previous visits, this time he said, ‘How about Chinese?’

He delivered, in person (as he does), a wonderful Chinese stir-fry, more than enough for the three of us.

It was cooked in his Tiesto (hence the restaurant name) – a large tagine, used in Ecuador for making maize tortillas.

“People think I’m crazy for cooking in this,” he said, explaining that his style of food is called Cuencan fusion.

We asked for the cheque, but before it arrived came a dessert – on the house!

It was a work of art (see photo), created by Juan’s wife and using only fruit and chocolate.
Zenchai licked it off the plate…almost literally.

“Yummie,” he said. “Can you ask the chef how to make this,” he told his mother.

Tiestos - Juan Jarmillo 7-34 y Borrero, Tel: 2835 310

Note: Tiestos is open for lunch and dinner every day except Mondays.

Eating Out In Vilcabamba

In Vilcabamba there are a number of cafes and restaurants, but the following were particularly able to cater to our vegan diet. We sampled them while we were staying at the Rendezvous Hostal (we didn't have kitchen access until we moved to our lovely casita). 

For the best vegetarian/vegan almuerzo deal in town head to the road just behind the square (there is a blue building on the corner - horseback riding service) to Restaurant Vegetariano. It is a small family-run business with the restaurant inbuilt to the family home. The owner is extremely pleasant and her lunches are hard to beat when it comes to value for money. The daily almuerzo special consists of horchata or natural juice, soup, small side salad, main and a dessert, all for $3! Please note that her daily almuerzo is not always vegan-friendly, but she will happily make you a small, but tasty avocado sandwich with a side salad. Her lip-smacking food goes quickly, so if her sign is not out front then she is closed or has run out of food. Restaurant Vegetariano is closed on Saturdays. 

On the square itself there are two cafes of note Cafe Cosmos and Sambuca Cafe. You can usually spot Cosmos by all the gringos pouring out the door and into the outdoor seating. Norie and Richard are an American couple who are building an intentional community, where they source some of the ingredients for the menu. They have succulent superfood smoothies (my favourite is the Goji-Mojo minus the flax seed) and alluring juices. Vegan options on the menu are limited, but they are happy to veganize their existing menu options or whip-up something off the cuff. Nalassa (one of the vegan members of staff) is especially crafty in that way. She also created vegan-friendly chocolate bliss balls made that are super rich. The only down point to Cosmos is the slow service, but if you plan in advance and go when you are just marginally hungry by the time you are starving you should have your food. Cosmos is closed on Tuesdays. (Norie also sells organically produced panella from her land for 50¢. 

Directly across the square from Cosmos is the Mexican-owned Sambuca Cafe. Raul & Isamar, the purveyors, are just about the sweetest couple you'll meet in Vilcabamba - they both also speak impeccable English. Most of the ingredients come straight from their organic garden on the outskirts of town. You are always guaranteed a fresh meal. They are more than happy to adapt their menu to suit your eating needs and/or create something of your liking - raw or vegan. The tempeh sandwich and guacamole are particularly nice along with their pizzas (although these can be quite dear). Sambuca's menu offers a wide choice of drinkable goodness, too. Sambuca is closed on Wednesdays. 

Raul also mentioned that soon they would have a storefront to sell some of their produce from their organic garden. Their garden produces some of the finest veg. around (especially their basil). Depending on when you visit, you can always ask them if you can buy items out of their organic garden. Angel, their gardener, is a generous man offering up whatever is ripe, mature or ready to eat at ridiculously low prices. 

The more forgettable of our gastric sampling was El Jardin Escondido. Just down the road from Cafe Cosmos (heading away from the square) is El Jardin Escondido, a hostel with a restaurant. The food and the service was nothing to write home about.

Our Cuenca Restaurant Recommendations

 Govindas ~ Lunch Heaven

For unbeatable value for money, try Govinda’s – Jaramillo 7-27. It’s open for breakfast and lunch only (8am-3pm), but the lunch buffet (almuerzos) – for $2 per person – is fantastic. The complete vegetarian fare includes a hearty soup, fresh juice and a main meal. The staff are friendly and helpful. Around lunchtime it gets quite busy, but there is ample seating in this ambient restaurant.

Tiesto's ~ Dinner Bliss   

Friends of ours had said they’d enjoyed the best curry of their lives in Ecuador – and this from people who’d actually been to India!

So we checked out Tiesto's for ourselves and ended up eating there two nights in succession. It’s not an Indian restaurant. I’m not sure how to describe it except that the food is out of this world, scrumptious.

Being vegan, our choice on the menu was limited. However, the chef and owner bounced over to greet us (as he does with every table!) and was more than happy to indulge us with an off-the-menu vegan delight, which proved an understatement. For the Spanish speaking novices he speaks good English, too.

 For $18, we had a massive feast the first night – egg plant (aubergines) cooked Italian style in a large tagine-like dish – and the next evening he said he’d prepare something Indian, which he did.

Delicious – there’s no other word for it. The service and décor are superb with a perfect atmosphere. If you’re ever in Cuenca, be sure to treat yourself. Address: 7-34 Jaramillo (opposite Govinda’s).